1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light emitting diode (LED) assembly, and more particularly to an LED assembly having an improved heat dissipating configuration to dissipate heat more efficiently.
2. Description of Related Art
LED have been available since the early 1960's. Because of the relatively high efficiency of LEDs, nowadays LED usage has been increased in popularity in a variety of applications, e.g., residential, traffic, commercial, industrial settings. However, when the LED is in operation, it generates a great deal of heat, which may result in the LED overheating or even malfunction if the heat cannot be dissipated timely. Therefore, many attempts are tried in order to effectively cool the LED.
Conventionally, a type of LED assembly comprises a metal substrate and an LED mounted on the substrate. The metal substrate sequentially forms an electrically insulated circuit layer and an electrically conducting layer thereon. A plurality of vias is defined through the electrically insulated circuit layer and the electrically conducting layer to separate them. The LED is mounted on the substrate with a base thereof adhesively attached on an exposed surface of the substrate, and two electrode leads thereof respectively secured to separated, electrically conducting layers by welding.
The substrate can offer a sufficient heat dissipating capability to the LED which is conventionally utilized. However, as more and more light output is desired today, high power LEDs are used. The heat generated by the high power LEDs, which is proportional to the light output, increases significantly compared to the conventional LEDs. The substrate becomes incompetent for dissipating so much heat generated by the high power LEDs, since along a heat transferring pathway from an LED die of the LED to the substrate, the base of the LED forms a block preventing an effective heat transfer. The heat cannot be timely dissipated by the substrate would severely affect the level of luminous flux of the LED. Thus, the LED exhibits a substantially insufficient and unsatisfied light output.
What is needed, therefore, is an LED assembly which can overcome the above-mentioned disadvantages.